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A fine reason to party
The more Independence Days the merrier. Now Tampa folks with ties to the Dominican Republic invite you to honor the country's 157 years as an independent nation.
By AMY ABBOTT
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 22, 2001
The first celebration of the Dominican Republic Independence Day in Tampa has been described as un sancocho musico cultural, a reference to a classic soup called sancocho, made from a tasty mishmash of ingredients.
Together with a colorful, festive atmosphere and the history of a liberated nation you get "a very tasty combination," said Narciso F. Saavedra, organizer of the event and chief executive officer of the entertainment company Papagallo Productions.
Though this is the first celebration in Tampa, it is the 157th year of independence for the tiny Caribbean nation. Originally called Hispanola (Little Spain) by Columbus and later freed from France and its neighbor, Haiti, the volatile country has been in turmoil for much of the last 200 years, until about the time its gold supply ran out.
The festival is another stepping stone for the Dominican population in the Tampa Bay area. Saavedra says he has noticed the rising numbers of the group in Tampa throughout the five years he has lived here.
"We are becoming a major buying, spending and economic power in Tampa," he said. "This is a tremendous compliment to the Latin community to be recognized and be able to put this festival together."
One formal recognition will be Mayor Dick Greco's designating Feb. 24 as the official day of the independence of the Dominican Republic in Tampa. Last year, the mayor officially declared Oct. 1 to be Tampa's Merengue Day, after a style of music and dance Saavedra says unites all Caribbean nations and will unite the festival.
Merengue has a strong beat, slowed down in Puerto Rico to make it more sensual and speeded up in the mainland United States to mix with hip-hop and high-energy dance. This trend will be reflected in the acts.
One group to perform between the headliners is Mambo Dancers from Jacksonville, which raps to a merengue beat. The main act, Los Hermanos Rosario, combines traditional Dominican merengue with the fast tempo Saavedra heard a lot in New York and to which he says only people in the U.S. can dance.
With this event, Tampa joins the ranks of New York, Chicago, Miami and Orlando, which celebrate the holiday on a much larger scale. Saavedra, who has worked on the parties in New York and Chicago, thinks Tampa is ready for this celebration because the city is gaining national attention and has great growth potential.
"It was great for the chamber of commerce to make the decision to advertise Gasparilla on a national scale," he said. "Now, after the Super Bowl and everything, Tampa is on the map."
The festival will be held at the Police Athletic League Stadium in Tampa. Saavedra's company sponsors baseball and soccer teams for youths at the facility. Vendors and sponsors, including the St. Petersburg Times, Western Union and Time Warner, will distribute information about the history of the Dominican Republic holiday's history and offer dishes from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and several other Latin American nations.
At a glance:
WHAT: Celebration of Dominican Republic Independence
WHEN: Saturday 11 a.m. -9 p.m.
WHERE: Police Athletic League Stadium, corner of Rome Avenue and Diana Street, Tampa
COST: $8
CALL: (813) 977-8080
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